On December 21
st, a video of an off-duty police officer shooting a woman and her adult son at point-blank range in the Philippines went viral on social media, reviving calls for police reform. The local police chief has declared that Jonel Nuezca has turned himself in and admitted to the double homicide of his unarmed neighbours Sonya Gregario, 52, and her son Frank Gregario, 25, following a noise complaint.
The video shows Mr. Nuezca and his daughter arguing and attempting to arrest Mr. Gregario over the firing of a boga (an improvised bamboo cannon frequently used for New Year’s celebration). Ms. Gregario tightly embraces her son, pleading for him not to be taken away. With no sign of hesitation, Mr. Nuezca puts a bullet in each of his neighbours’ heads, in broad daylight, under bystanders’ terrified eyes.
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Nine Tumandok Indigenous people were killed and 10 others were arrested in police operations on Panay Island on December 31 in what rights groups labeled a “massacre.”
The killings came a week after an off-duty police officer was charged with murder after being caught on video killing a mother and son during an argument.
Philippine police said the Indigenous leaders had fought back after being served search warrants, although the human rights group Panay Alliance Karapatan denied this allegation.
The Tumandok leaders had campaigned against the construction of the nearby Jalaur Dam, which would impact the community’s ancestral lands.
“Those killed were recognized Indigenous community leaders in their respective [communities]. They were civilians and not armed combatants,” Karapatan said.